1,500 Citizens Still In Afghanistan And Working Target August 31, US Military Aircraft Takes Off Every 39 Minutes

JAKARTA - United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there are still around 1,500 of his nationals in Afghanistan, saying the government is continuing to try to establish communication and give instructions on how to get to Kabul airport.

At a press conference Wednesday, Secretary Blinken said Washington had so far evacuated 4,500 Americans and their families, while President Joe Biden's August 31 deadline to withdraw US troops was just days away.

When the US evacuation effort began, there were as many as 6,000 Americans in Afghanistan who wanted to leave, according to US analysis, Blinken said. He said officials had been in direct contact with the remaining 500 of them in the past 24 hours, giving specific instructions on how to get to Kabul airport safely.

"For the remaining approximately 1,000 contacts we have, who may be Americans who want to leave Afghanistan, we aggressively reach out to them several times a day, through various communication channels," Foreign Minister Blinken said, citing Reuters on Thursday, August 26.

The figure does not include green card holders, those who are authorized to live and work in the United States.

President Joe Biden's administration has struggled for days to provide specific figures for the number of Americans evacuated so far and those still in Afghanistan. Despite providing figures, Minister Blinken warned that the figures could change hourly.

"From this list of about 1,000, we believe the number of Americans actively seeking help leaving Afghanistan is lower, possibly much lower," he said.

He also said 45 percent to 46 percent of the roughly 82,000-plus people so far evacuated from Afghanistan were women and children. Blinken also stressed that there is no deadline on efforts to help people wanting to leave Afghanistan, either Americans or otherwise.

Washington will use every tool of diplomatic and economic aid to ensure those wishing to leave can do so even after August 31. But he did not specify how exactly Washington would help people leave without a US military presence on the ground.

In the 10 days since the Taliban seized Kabul, the United States and its allies have carried out one of the largest aerial evacuations on record, bringing in more than 88,000 people, including 19,000 in the past 24 hours. The US military says planes take off the equivalent of every 39 minutes.

Although the airlift will last until Tuesday, the United States military said it would shift its focus in the past two days from helping fleeing civilians to evacuating troops.

The Pentagon does not expect US military involvement beyond August 31, spokesman John Kirby said.

"I think what Secretary Blinken is talking about is the kind of support and assistance we provide to Americans around the world who want to leave their place and get help going home. I wouldn't have anticipated that there would be a military in that kind of aid role," he said. .